King best candidate

October 27, 2013

Gloversville residents need a mayor who understands how to help them now, while also planning - and working - for a better future.

In that regard, we believe current Mayor Dayton King is the better choice for voters Nov. 5.

King clearly understands the most important issue for many city residents: the tax rate. He deserves credit for proposing a 2014 budget with a small tax decrease, and for proposing budgets for 2012 and 2013 that included no tax increases.

With the city close to its constitutional taxing limit, King has not hesitated to try to reduce costs or point out where the city could save money. When necessary, he has tackled controversial issues head-on - such as the minimum staffing clause the Gloversville Fire Department has in its contract.

Gloversville residents also can feel confident King has been looking out for their best interests, even when it might have benefited him politically to look the other way. Under his watch, the city has sued the Fulton County Economic Development Corp. and the Crossroads Incubator Corp., seeking to regain control of several loans and a cash balance of about $940,000 from the economic development agencies. King also did not shy away from voicing his concerns about Fulton County's plan for possible consolidation of water and sewer services in the county. The mayor understands the city should not give up control of those assets, which are important to economic development.

King said his proudest accomplishment during his time in office is getting work started on the proposed Route 30A access road. He understands the likely path for economic development and, more importantly, has experience working with the people who can help clear the path for development.

His opponent, Jim Handy, shares some of the same general ideas to help the city. However, Handy's proposals seem short on details and, in some cases, would do little to move the city beyond the status quo.

There is no hiding from the fact King's first term had a number of controversies and, in our opinion, some outright mistakes. For example, he failed for a period to turn in proper mileage logs regarding his use of a city vehicle. He also failed to discuss some of his policy decisions with the people they affect before he announced them.

Clearly, though, King is a better mayor now than when he took office four years ago. If King wins a second term, we expect him to show he learned from his mistakes.